Matters of Honor
by The-Caitiff
Summary: Harry thinks up a plan to deal with those unpleasent aspects of Hogwarts life. School is in session less than hour before one man is dead and another headed for Azkaban.


Others would never know what exactly prompted Harry Potter's latest bout with insanity, and in hindsight, it was debatable whether it was truly insanity or unspeakable genius. What is clear however is that sometime on the train ride towards his sixth year of schooling at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Harry decided that he was going to clean out Voldemort's supporters at the school. The plan was elegantly simple, and so stupid that others called it suicide when they learned of it later.

Regardless of how anyone cared to call it, The Plan (which was spoken capitalized even in Harry's head) was foolproof and Harry chose the perfect person to test it upon. After The Plan was devised, Harry opened a fresh roll of parchment and began writing two documents. The first was his Last Will and Testament (Ron got his broom and most of his money, Hermione got the rest), and the other was a devilishly simple magical contract that was integral to The Plan. Harry tricked two muggleborn first years into adding their signatures next to his own as witnesses and used his wand to produce a seal in molten wax next to the dates. Whistling a happy tune, Harry hurried back to his compartment before Ron and Hermione could get back from their Prefect meeting.

00000

The sorting and opening speeches went as well as they ever did. The new teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts Instructors, Professor Gentry, wisely decided against giving a longwinded and self promoting speech and decided instead to settle for a simple wave which some of the students returned. Forty three new students sat at their house tables, two of them were looking around for that strange upperclassman that told them they were signing a request to get into the super secret house of awesomeness because apparently they didn't get in. After the puddings were done and the school song had been sung Harry walked to the front of the Great Hall, completely interrupting the Headmaster who was about to dismiss everyone.

"Excuse me everyone, there's just one last thing to do before we all go to bed. For too long this school has been divided by petty jealousy and schoolboy rivalries, so tonight I've decided to take the first step towards fixing that. Draco Malfoy, could you please come up here?" Harry looked to the Slytherin table and watched his fourth or fifth most hated enemy (Voldemort, Snape, Bellatrix, and Dumbledore were constantly jockeying for the top slot) approach him with a questioning look in his eyes. Harry pulled the contract he had written from inside his robes. "Almost all of you know that Draco and I despise each other, but that should end right now. Mr. Malfoy, I believe I have something that would grant your fondest wish."

Malfoy slowly unrolled the scroll and read the simple document through. He sucked in a breath of surprise once he realized what it could mean and read it through again looking for the loophole that just had to be there. It was too simple, there was no loophole. "Does this mean what I think it means?"

"Yes it does," Harry nodded.

Draco placed his wand to the bottom of the contract in the space for the first of many signatures, "I, Draco Abraxas Malfoy, accept the terms of this agreement. So mote it be."

Harry placed a second scroll, his Will at his feet then stepped back with his empty hands spread wide, and head tilted back, "Whenever you're ready."

Draco looked to the staff table and found only puzzled faces. The Gryffindor table was full of the same. He took one long breath and decided there was only one way to go, forward, "Avada Kedavra!"

Screams rang from around the hall, but given how close the two young men were it was impossible for even Dumbledore to stop the spell in time. The deadly green bolt of energy slammed into Harry, death flying forth to claim him on silent wings, but then the impossible happened for the second time in living memory. The killing curse which had impacted Harry right over his heart was absorbed and then reemitted with a flash. The rebounded curse collided with the Malfoy Scion and propelled him across the Great Hall, where he slumped to the floor, quite dead, at the feet of his Godfather and Head of House.

"Call the Aurors to take care of that body, House Potter and House Malfoy are hereby in a state of Blood Feud for the attempted extermination of House Potter. House Potter demands half of House Malfoy's assets in compensation or House Potter will hunt them until there are none left." Harry collected his two scrolls and tried to rejoin his housemates.

Hands reached out to hold him however, and the enraged voice of Severus Snape called for him to be immediately expelled and locked in Azkaban despite his completely nonviolent role in Draco's demise. "I demand that you expel him at once Albus! He just murdered another student in front of the entire school, even you cannot defend him."

Harry held up his hand as the Headmaster was about to speak. "I am able to answer for myself Professor. I did not kill Draco Malfoy, he was the one who cast the curse."

"Which you used to kill him!"

"Which he died from," Harry corrected absently. He held out the contract again, "Perhaps you would like to read this. It may help you find some peace, or maybe vengeance, whichever you wish."

Snape snatched the parchment from his hands and read it through several times. He stared at Harry and read no deceit or deception on his mind. Harry stared back with a look of casual defiance, almost daring him to sign the contract and take a shot. He pointed his wand at Harry, "You think I'll fall for your schoolboy tricks Potter? Planning to use the debt I owe your father to weasel out of this?"

"No, that was repaid in my first year. You did try to save my life after all." Harry leaned forward and pressed the tip of Snape's wand against his unprotected throat, staring into Snape's eyes the entire time. "Come on, the first one is free!"

Professor Snape pushed with all his anger and hatred for both Potter generations as he whipped his wand side to side, "Sectumsempra!"

It became immediately apparent that Severus Snape had far superior reactions to the Malfoy boy as the curse dug into Harry's neck and rebounded just before it would have severed his arteries, leaving only a shallow cut. Unlike Malfoy, Snape ducked to the side as the flaming band of violet spell-fire ripped past where his own head had been. Immediately spells from most of the staff flew towards the two men. Snape was disarmed, and had Harry been holding a weapon he would have been too, in rapid succession they were both placed in body binds and bound in ropes. Dumbledore reached out to retrieve the parchment that had incited two attempted murders this evening.

00000

_A Challenge of Honor to Settle Affairs with House Potter _

_On this, the First of September in the year of our Lord Nineteen Hundred Ninety Six, House Potter extends a Challenge of Honor to all Houses or Individuals that wish to accept. Too long have petty bitterness and old grudges impeded the growth or business of House Potter within the British Wizarding World. To this end, House Potter hereby names Harry James Potter their Champion to settle such maters. _

_Any House or Individual who seeks to accept this Challenge may engage him in any manner they choose and at any time with absolutely no warning. In the event of the demise of House Potter's Champion, a formal apology will be given by House Potter in the matter being dueled over and the House or Individual is to be absolved of any and all blame in the matter and manner of his death. _

_Signed _

_Harry James Potter, Head of House Potter, Champion of House Potter _

_Witnessed _

_Kevin Whiteby _

_Alexander Harris _

_Claimants against House Potter _

_Draco Abraxas Malfoy, Heir of House Malfoy _

_Severus Tobias Snape, Individual _

00000

Dumbledore stared at the parchment in shock. One of his students had literally signed a warrant for his own death, going to far as to prevent his killer from facing justice. Numbly he passed the contract to Minerva McGonagall.

"Oh Harry, what were you thinking?" He lamented as he released his favorite student.

"Either must die at the hands of the other," Harry whispered in his ear. "In the meantime, everyone else needs to learn not to mess with me."

The Headmaster paled, "No, not like this…"

Plucking the contract from his Head of House's nerveless fingers, Harry duplicated and enlarged it. He stuck the poster sized copy on the wall next the entrance with a muttered spell. With a flick, he cast a stunner at the still bound and petrified Snape. "When the Aurors get here, have them arrest him for attempted murder. I only promised leniency if they kill me."


End file.
